Stitch-removing tool



Feb. 18, 1930-, A. RusKowsKY 9 3 I STITCH REMOVING Toot Filed Jan. 28, 19726 2 Shefls -Sheet l i 1 mun Feb@ 18, 1930. Rus ows I 1,747,845

STITCH REMOVING TOOL Filed Jan. 28; 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. flu usz fiskazosl y Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UITED STATES is FFHCE AUGUST RUSKOWSKY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO G, M.

NORTH, JR., OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN STITCH-REMOVING TOOL Application filed January 28, 1926. Serial No. 84,473.

This invention relatesto a stitch removing tool. It is the object of the invention to provide a simple but effective tool for removing the stitches from the soles of shoes. The tool is so designed that it may be manufactured by a tool builder and can be easily placed on the arbor of machines which any wellequipped shoemakers establishment has for the various mechanical operations necessary in repairing shoes.

My new tool is very simple in construction, and very rapid and efficient in operation.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tool.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionof the same.

Fig. 3 is across section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 49 inclusive are enlarged sectional views of a fragmentary character showing the steps by which the stitches are removed.

Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line 1010 of Fig. 2. j

The tool is very simple, and comprises essentially two rotating work-engaging heads or disks, one of which is designated a, and is provided with a plurality of cutting teeth I) which are very similar to ratchet teeth. The other head, designated a, is provided with work engaging face and periphery d of smooth contour but decidedly rounded from the face of the disk to the highest point on the periphery.

The revolving tooth head a is bolted to the sleeve 6, which in turn can be secured to the arbor f by the set screw it. The sleeve 6 has one end a continuation in the form of a hollow stub shaft 9 of reduced diameter. The work engaging head (Z is bolted to the sliding carrier 2' and this is splined onto a hollow stub shaft by means of the key j. A tractile spring is is hooked on one end. around the tapered cross pin m and the other end is hooked into the screw stud a. By adjusting the nut o and the screw stud it will be obvious that the tension of this springcan be increased or decreased. This controls the spring stress which tends to press the heads a and cl towards each other, and consequently regulates the pressure of the tool on the work.

Now, referring to Figs. 4 and 5, Fig. 4. is a section through the sole and welt of a shoe showing how the stitches lock together. Fig. 5 shows the welt after the shoemaker has stripped off the sole with a knife. This leaves a lot of cut stitches that have ordinarily to be picked out with a hand tool. It is the object of this tool to do this rapidly by machinery. Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are sections showing graph ically how this is done, but ona very enlarged scale. The tool is pressed against the work, as shown in Fig. 6, with the work engaging face of the tool on the bottom of the welt and the revolving toothed head above the welt in the small margin between the edge of the welt and the body of the shoe. The tooth head is shaped so as to engage under the curve of the body of the shoe where it merges into the welt. This curve is also so calculated in order to get into this space under the overhanging portion of the body of the shoe that it is necessary to slightly bend the welt, as is clearly depicted in Fig. 6. This has a tendency to throw up the loose stitches slightly into the path of the revolving teeth. These teeth plow into the stitches, as is clearly shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. The tool will revolve, say fourteen hundred revolutions a minute, and these teeth are rapidly revolved over the loose stitches. They strike the stitches and drag the threads out, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, although this is not exact for the operation on every stitch, for the ef feet on each stitch mayvary considerably, depending upon just the way the thread projects upand-the way it is struck by the teeth. Ivbelieve that it has a tendency to pull the stitches out in strands, that is, the thread if made up of five or six strands of material and as each successive tooth strikes the PIOJQCting loop'it tends to pull one or'more of the strands out of the needle hole, but on the other hand, it may tend to pull the entire thread out by successive impulses from the teeth.

It will be clear how the shoe in the hand of the operator can be turned to thevarious positions to press the-edge of the welt between the two revolving heads and how the rapidly revolving head with successive teeth digs into the apices of the loops and pulls the'threads out. This is done without in any way marring or scraping the upper face of the welt.

What I claim is: 1. In a tool for removing stitches, the combination of a pair of rotatable heads, one of which is provided with a rounded corner at the periphery for engaging under the welt having the stitches and the other of which is provided with a plurality of teeth bearing against the stitch portions exposed on the top of the welt and removing them by plowing into the stitch loops.

2. In a tool for removing stitches, the combination of a pair of rotating heads, one of which is provide-d with a rounded corner to bear under the welt and the other of which is provided with a plurality of teeth of proper contour to engage over the welt between the body of the shoe and the welt, said second head provided with teeth arranged to catch into the exposed loops of the welt.

3. In a tool for removing stitches, the combination of a pair of rotating heads, one of which is provided with a rounded corner to bear under the welt and the other of which is provided with a plurality of teeth of proper contour to engage over the welt between the body of the shoe and thewelt, said teeth arranged to catch into the exposed loops of the welt, and means by which said heads are slidably supported with respect to each other, and are pressed towards each other. I

4. Ina tool for removing stitches, the combination of a pair of rotating heads, one of which is arranged to bear under the welt and the other of which is provided with a plurality of teeth of proper contour to engage over the welt between the body of the shoe and the welt, said teeth arranged to catch into the exposed loops of the welt, a hollow stub shaft on which the two heads are supported, one to slide longitudinally with respect to the other and on the inside of which is located a tractile spring tending to pull the two heads towards each other.

5. I11 a tool for removing stitches, the combination of a pair of rotating heads, one of which is arranged to bear under the welt and the other of which is provided with a plurality of teeth of proper contour to engage over the welt between the body of the shoe and the welt, said teeth arranged to catch into the exposed loops of the welt, a hollow stub shaft on which the two heads are supported to slide with respect to each other, and on the inside ofwhich is provided a spring tending to press one head towards the other, together witha threaded stud and adjustingnut by which the tensionof the spring may 'be'regulated.

6. A device for removing stitches from the welts of shoes, having in combination a rotary tool adapted to engage one side of the welt, teeth on said tool for catching the loops of the stitches and withdrawing them from the welt, and asecond tool spaced from said rotary tool and having a relieved edge portion over which the welt can be bent to expose the stitches to the teeth of the rotary tool without a substantial distortion of the welt.

7 A device for removing stitches from the welts of shoes, having in combination a rotary tool adapted to engage one side of the welt, teeth on said tool for catching the loops of the stitches and withdrawing them from the welt, and a second tool spaced from said rotary tool and having a relieved edge portion provided with a smooth surface over which the welt can be bent to expose the stitches to the teeth of the rotary tool without a substantial distortion of thewelt.

8. A device for removing stitches from the welts of shoes, having in combination a rotary tool adapted to engage one side of the welt, teeth on the tool for catching the loops of the stitches and withdrawing them from the welt, a second tool spaced from the said rotary tool for engaging the opposite side of the welt, having a relieved edge portion over which the welt can be bent to expose the loops of the stitches to the teeth of the rotary tool without substantial distortion ofthe welt, resilient means for urging the tools toward each other, and means for adjusting the tensionof the resilient means.

9. A device for removing stitches from the welts of shoes, having in combination a 1'0- tary tool adapted to engage one side of the welt, teeth on the tool for catching the loops of the stitches and withdrawing them from the welt, a second tool spaced from the said rotary tool for engaging the opposite side of the welt, this second tool having a smooth surface for engagement with the welt, resilient means urging the two tools towards each other whereby the smooth surface presses the welt toward the'toothed tool with an-even pressure, and means for adjusting the said resilient means.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

AUGUST RUSKOWSKY. 

